Saint Mary's women's volleyball beat UC Berkeley 3-2 on Sunday, Aug. 30, at UCU Pavilion in Moraga. The five-set win snapped an eight-year losing streak against the Bears, with the final set finishing 15-13.

It was the Gaels' first win over Cal since 2018 and just the fourth in 28 all-time meetings between the cross-tunnel rivals. The victory also marked Saint Mary's first win over a Power Four opponent since that same 2018 match.

Outside hitter Antonie Kelnarova led the charge with 19 kills, one shy of her career high, and went a perfect 20-for-20 on serve receptions. She posted five kills on 10 swings in both the third and fifth sets, according to SMC Athletics.

The Gaels never trailed in the match score, winning the first set 25-23, dropping the second 16-25, taking the third 25-19, losing the fourth 22-25 and closing it out in the fifth.

Saint Mary's opened the fifth set on a 7-1 run. Cal answered with an 8-2 surge to level the score at 9-9, but the Gaels recorded four key sideouts down the stretch to pull away.

Libero Alayna Pearson posted 22 digs, a season high and her seventh 20-plus dig performance as a Gael. Setter Sadie White set season highs with 31 assists and six digs, while setter Caitlin Prior added 20 assists and eight digs.

Middle blocker Ava Galvan tied her career best with four blocks, giving her a team-leading 10 blocks through the opening weekend.

Cal matched the Gaels' intensity at the net. Illinois transfer Cari Bohm registered 13 blocks, tying Ellen Orchard's 2007 record for the most in a single match in Cal program history, according to Cal Athletics. The Bears totaled 21 team blocks, tied for fourth-most all-time in their program.

Senior outside hitter Ashley Li finished with 17 points for Cal, which fell to 2-1 after starting the season unbeaten.

The five-set match produced 59 kills for Saint Mary's, the most in a match since the Gaels recorded 61 against San Francisco on Nov. 13, 2025. The first set alone featured 18 ties and seven lead changes before Layne Dent's five kills helped the Gaels pull ahead 25-23.

Saint Mary's opened its 2026 season at home for the first time since 2004, hosting the Gael-Bear Classic alongside Cal. The Gaels lost to UC San Diego 3-1 on Friday, Aug. 28, then swept Southern Utah 3-0 on Saturday, Aug. 29. The Cal win gave them a 2-1 record, tied with four other teams for the best mark in the field.

The Gaels head to the Sac State Invitational in Sacramento starting Thursday, Sept. 3, with a 4 p.m. match against Texas Tech. They face Nevada on Friday, Sept. 4, at 4 p.m., and Sacramento State on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 1:30 p.m.